Punjab announces 18-member squad for the upcoming Vijay Hazare Trophy, featuring big guns Shubman Gill, Abhishek Sharma, and Arshdeep Singh, gearing up for their season opener against Maharashtra on December 24, as per ESPNcricinfo.
Indian ODI and Test skipper Gill recently suffered a significant setback after being dropped from the squad for the upcoming T20 World Cup and the New Zealand T20I series due to fitness and form concerns.
Punjab's squad is stacked with big hitters and all-rounders, featuring Prabhsimran Singh, Naman Dhir, Anmolpreet Singh, Ramandeep Singh, Sanvir Singh, and Harpreet Brar, alongside India stars Gill, Abhishek, and Arshdeep. Gurnoor Brar and Krish Bhagat will spearhead the pace attack.
The extent of Gill, Abhishek and Arshdeep's availability remains unclear, with India scheduled to play three ODIs against New Zealand starting January 11, followed by five T20Is from January 21.
Punjab, the losing quarter-finalists last season, are set to play all seven league matches in Jaipur. Arshdeep was their leading wicket-taker in the 2024-25 edition, and he will be a key player to watch.
Punjab's group includes Chhattisgarh, Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, Sikkim, Goa, and Mumbai, with league-stage fixtures wrapping up on January 8, just before India's first ODI on January 11.
Punjab have not named a captain in the official squad announcement.
Punjab's Vijay Hazare Trophy squad: Shubman Gill, Abhishek Sharma, Arshdeep Singh, Prabhsimran Singh (wk), Harnoor Pannu, Anmolpreet Singh, Uday Saharan, Naman Dhir, Salil Arora (wk), Sanvir Singh, Ramandeep Singh, Jashanpreet Singh, Gurnoor Brar, Harpreet Brar, Raghu Sharma, Krish Bhagat, Gourav Choudhary, Sukhdeep Bajwa.
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